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Color Psychology in Logo Design & Branding Explained

While various graphic elements are needed to be masterfully integrated together, color is by far, one of the essentials to convey your logo’s meaning.

Color is so powerful that it can influence thinking, reactions, and stimulate bodily hormones. It holds an array of meanings that manifest in the natural world, a ton of meanings that you can write papers about it, as well as in the diverse cultures around the world. Color digs deeper in human psychology; thus, designers can benefit from harnessing and incorporating it in their designs.

Logo Design Colour Spectrum & Emotion Guide

Take a look at how popular brands use colour in their logo designs. Notice the heavy skews on blue and red?

Read on to learn how to choose the right colour scheme for your logo design or brand by understanding the psychology and meaning behind colours.

Blue’s Color Psychology in Logo Design

The color of the ocean and of the sky. A soothing color that caresses your heart with peace, freedom, intuition, imagination. It also inspires us to be loyal, to be sincere, to be confident, and to be intelligent — that’s why it is a highly corporate color. Blue definitely brings tranquility in the body since it slows down human metabolism.

Red’s Color Meaning in Logo Design

The warmest of all the color schemes, and the most popular among extroverts and males. It is as intense as fire and as warm as blood; red screams passion, energy, love, desire, and determination. That’s why many countries incorporate this color in their flags. As an effect in our human body, red enhances human metabolism, raises blood pressure, boosts appetite, and increases respiration rate. It is dynamic and definitely your go-to color if you want to get people’s attention — that’s why you can observe “buy now” or “click here” buttons all over the internet are colored as red.

Green’s Color Psychology in Logo Design

Nature’s favorite color — if nature does have a favorite color. Associated with the season of spring, it is a symbol of life, new beginnings, safety, fertility and environment. Often times, the color green stands for lack of experience and continuous growth. Undeniably though, it has healing effects to us, both physically and emotionally, and is known to have a soothing effect to human vision. Since it takes dominance in the natural world, green takes a lot of space in the human eye’s spectrum. So, it is an ideal background for any kind of design because it is visible anywhere.

Orange’s Color Meaning in Branding

The mixture of yellow and red — and also familiar to us as the sweet and sour fruit of the same name. Although, it is expected in this color to be a blend of red and yellow meanings, it stands out as a symbol of creativity and joy, and is often associated with autumn and harvest. It encourages emotional energies of compassion, warmth, passion, happiness and understanding; it is also the color for you to hold on if life bombards you with disappointments and heartbreaks. Studies have shown that orange stimulates hunger — reason why restaurants patronize this color so much — enhances a sense of activity, increases mental activity, boosts brain’s oxygen supply, and so on. Thus, it is highly visible in logo designs — like how red screams a look-over-here presence.

Yellow’s Color Meaning in Logo Design

This vibrant color — often associated with sunshine — is all about the merriness in the world. Yellow stands for freshness, happiness, positivity, clarity, energy, optimism, enlightenment. Use this color if you want to get attention like the color red, however, overusing it is not recommended. It is best to use color yellow in a balanced way in your logo designs.

Purple’s Color Meaning in Logo Design

The perfect blend of the fiery attributes of red and the oceanic qualities of blue. It is a rare sight in nature; that’s why it is often regarded as sacred, delicate, and precious. Violet is a symbol of extravagance, creativity, grandeur, peace, pride, independence, ambition, and magic. Since it is a combination of red and blue, it retains its qualities. Incorporating it in your logo design shows elegance and glam; it has this luxurious effect that gives a sense of sophistication for those laying eyes on it.

Brown’s Color Meaning in Logo Design

Brown can add a sense of trust, reliability and unity in to your design. Brown is the color of earth, wood, stone, wholesomeness, reliability, elegance, security, healing, home, grounding, foundations, stability, warmth. It can balance a design and also make you relax. It also has earthy tones, which relates back to nature.

Black’s Color Meaning in Logo Design

As mysterious as the shadows, black is the absence of colors. But it doesn’t give you absent feelings, rather, black shows strength, authority, sophistication, and elegance. It is a corporate color: a prestigious one that is. It boosts confidence, and teases a lot of possibilities, as well as inducing feelings associated with emptiness.

White’s Color Meaning in Branding

Associated with light, this color is a symbol of guidance, innocence, purity, beginnings, cleanliness, and so on. It represents coolness and simplicity; therefore, color white aids mental clarity, assists in cleanliness, and promotes thought and purifications. Using white in your logo design makes it look simple and clean, and since simplicity is the new trend with logo design today, you might want to consider incorporating this in your logo design.